KCCI 8 News live reports from downtown Des Moines with updates on the Younkers Building fire on Saturday.

KCCI 8 News live reports from downtown Des Moines with updates on the Younkers Building fire on Saturday.

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Updated: 5:40 PM CDT Mar 31, 2014

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WEBVTT The memories attached to the old Younker's building, and the size of the fire have many people asking, 'how did this fire start?' Our team 8 coverage begins with Kevin Cooney, live near the scene. Stacey... Chances are it will be a while before the answer to so many questions surrounding the fire can be answered. And... It's quite possible some will never be answered. Our live team coverage begins with Laura Nichols... For the very latest in the investigation. Kevin, federal investigators told me this is like a giant puzzle they have to put together to determine the cause... Today 22 federal investigators with the ATF are on scene. They have yet to enter the building for safety reasons. Right now they are assessing the situation. They're doing interviews and they are up in the surrounding buildings looking down on the debris. They are moving slowly, but that's how these investigations go. This group is made up of engineers, forensic chemists... they're the best of the best. Today Des Moines police is asking anyone with video or pictures before, during, or after the fire to give them to authorities. We asked the ATF is this means they are suspicious of arson... they said not necessarily...pi ctures and video will just be extremely helpful to the investigation. FOR US TO BE ABLE TO SEE THAT FIRE WHILE IT'S BURNING CAN TELL VOLUMES OF INFORMATION TO OUR EXPERTS, TO OUR FIRE ENGINEERS, AND TO OUR ELECTRICAL ENGINEERS, TO OUR CAUSE AND ORIGIN INVESTIGATORS. SO ANYBODY WHO HAS A VIDEO OF THE FIRE WHILE IT'S ACTUALLY BURNING OR RIGHT AFTER THAT WE WOULD LOVE TO SEE IT. The fire investigation and clean up means several downtown streets may be closed for the foreseeable future. But all in all this morning... The commute for those who work near the scene appeared to be a smooth one. Here's a check on what to avoid if you plan on driving downtown. Locust and Walnut remain closed between 6th and 8th streets. And 7th and 8th streets are closed between Locust and Mulberry. Several businesses around the area received extensive fire, smoke and water damage... Ben Jordan joins us for an update on how these businesses have been affected at the start of the work week. Neighboring businesses tell us they were able to handle most of the water and smoke damage over the weekend, today's major issue was not having normal office space for more than a thousand employees. Here's a look inside the EMC Insurance East building. 600 employees who work here are working from home today. Cleaning crews are picking up the mess and hundreds of windows are being repaired. EMC tells us they will be back to work tomorrow and the same goes for their 4 floors of employees at the Hub Tower. That building still has hundreds of pieces of glass falling onto the streets. The Wells Fargo Bank across the street from the Hub Tower was also closed today. Dozens of their employees are working remotely because their entrances are blocked. The Greater Des Moines Partnership building that's right next to Younkers had to rent a floor at the Ruan building for 45 employees because they say they could be out of their building for weeks. Businesses thank technology and online networks for being able to continue to work without office space. "TECHNOLOGY HAS MADE THIS INCIDENT SO MUCH MUCH MORE MANAGEABLE FROM A BUSINESS STANDPOINT, BECAUSE WHILE WE ARE BY NO MEANS A PAPERLESS OFFICE, SO MANY MORE OF OUR MATERIALS ARE AVAILABLE ONLINE." Businesses tell us their repairs will take months to complete, but the main goal right now is to get their employees back to work in safe offices. Thanks Ben... You're looking now at pictures released this morning by the Des Moines Fire Department... showing what's left on the inside of the Younkers building. The Iowa Task Force snapped these when they were there yesterday making sure the building was safe for ATF investigators. As laura mentioned earlier... ATF specialists are in Des Moines. The national response team is made up of 25 specialists from across the country... And only investigate about 20 large-scale fires or explosions each year. ATF officials say they'll be

Team coverage Monday of Younkers fire

KCCI 8 News live reports from downtown Des Moines with updates on the Younkers Building fire on Saturday.